Hello Garden Aficionados, Schemers and Plotters,
It’s already here in Parkdale!!! Yes, it is! Our Seedy Saturday is THIS Saturday, and it will come with the pleasing excitement of the Spring…bringing together all those eager folks who call themselves Seed Savers & Savors, Plant Lovers & Food Growers, Pollinator Gardeners & Seed Lovers… Yes, Seeds, Seeds! It is ALL about All types of Seeds: edibles, natives, and heirlooms, the main basic source of our gardening journey!
Our Seedy Saturday event is here and the West Neighbourhood House, Greenest City Program are welcoming ALL of you to our 2024 city-wide event. Please join us this Saturday, March 16th from 11am to 4pm in the basement of the Parkdale Public Library at 1303 Queen Street West.
For a complete list of vendors, organizations and activities – SCROLL DOWN.
Please Join us!
What is Seedy Saturday?
Seedy Saturdays are annual seed exchange events in which people can donate, return, swap, and purchase seeds from local gardeners and seed farmers. This year, we will also be showcasing an Eco Fair with local environmental organizations focusing on sustainability, zero waste, and green living.
Please stop by…Bring your family and kids as we host where you can have fun, learn about vermicompost, soil health, food, and seed sovereignty, buy delicious locally made food, and support local food justice initiatives. We will also have surprises and activities for the whole family!
Admission: PWYC (Pay-What-You-Can)
What is happening at the Parkdale Seedy Saturday?
Doors open 11am
Indigenous Opening Ceremony 11:30am
Parkdale Music Collective After Indigenous Opening Ceremony for 1hr. (around 12pm – 1pm)
All Day 11am – 4pm
Donate, swap, and purchase local seeds from gardeners and seed farmers.
Buy and trade heirloom and open-pollinated seeds.
Discover unique varieties for your garden!
Learn hands-on gardening tips at interactive tables and demonstrations.
Purchase eco-friendly products.
Fun eco-activities for kids.
Connect with other gardeners in your neighbourhood.
Network with community-based organizations.
Get to know the 25 Eco exhibitors and vendors from across the GTA area.
Visit some of our interactive tables:
Greenest City food related activity: Through a participatory popular education activity, our team of wonderful volunteers, Rodrigo Rojas and Peter Gadd will encourage everyone to understand the food cycle starting with the soil. We will explore the wonderful connections between worms, healthy soil, seeds, and food. Finally, you will be invited to cook a soup of ideas in a Communal Giant Pot in which you will use your favourite veggie to add your own flavour while writing a reflection about how Growing Food in Community Gardens could be a tangible Climate Action.
CanadaNosUne: “Seeds for Peace, A Collective Creation” Let’s be part of The Global Art Project for Peace 2024. The (GAP4P) is a remarkable initiative that encourages people worldwide to express their vision of global peace and goodwill through art. Founded in Tucson, Arizona, USA in 1993 by artist Katherine Josten, this project has gained international recognition and has involved 160,000 participants across 95 countries on seven continents and here in Canada By Peace Keeper Fouzia Amjad, advocates Doris Purchase & Lourdes Fuentes(Lumy) with the support of amazing crew, organizations Davenport Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre, Canada Nos Une, 519, Ontario Early Years, Art4All, Taller Talento Arte Sano members, individuals, and Greenest City at Parkdale by West Neighbourhood House that invite you to be part in the collective art piece calling “SEEDS FOR PEACE” Let’s Be part of this amazing peace project – Seedy Saturday spreading “SEEDS FOR PEACE” at Parkdale!
Here’s how it works:
Create Art: A community artworks that embody the vision of peace and compassion by ‘SEEDS FOR PEACE’ Collective Art
Exchange your vision of Peace with others writing an art message drawing your hand that will helps to create connections and spreading messages of peace. .
The Global Art Project is a powerful tool to inspire mutual understanding and envision a future global community based on love and respect. Let your creativity flow, and may your art contribute to a more peaceful world!
Fouzia, Doris, Lumy & Crew.
Kids Eco-Arts Activities: Children and families will have fun while knowing about the plant life cycle and doing some sunflower seedlings to take home. They will be also exploring how worms produce soil. They will be invited to create eco-arts such as flowers and bees with seeds and crayons.
Compost Toronto is a group committed to building and restoring the diversity of life that makes soil healthy and alive. Composting is many things. It is diverting organic waste from landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and it is growing the micro-organisms that are the building blocks of healthy soil.
Come see a hands-on demonstration of composting methods and the materials used for composting that you have in your own home and community. Learn about the basics of soil health and see what healthy soil and compost looks like up close and personal with a microscope. You will see the difference!
Let’s talk about creating a composting hub in Parkdale to create the soil diversity that builds plant health, human health, and the health of our environment.
Seeds stratification Table: Solomon Thompson from CalendulaSun will explain to you the process of pre-treating seeds to stimulate natural conditions that the seeds must experience before germination can occur. Treating seeds helps the seed “break dormancy” and initiate the germination process.
Alpha Phi Omega: Come and learn from Jewel Gomes about how to grow rice in your backyard and how to create envelopes with recycled paper.
Support our food vendors
Please support our local vendors, Sonam and Rahma with their traditional momos, noodles, samosas and juice. This year Aangenn will be selling a very low-cost delious dried-up soups.
Thanks to all the Exhibitors and Vendors who will be join us in our 2024 Seedy Saturday in Parkdale.
Seeds of Diversity: https://seeds.ca/
Parkdale High Park 4 Climate Action: https://www.php4climateaction.org/
Toronto Seed Library: https://torontoseedlibrary.org/
FoodShare: https://foodshare.net/
Toronto Environmental Alliance TEA: https://www.instagram.com/toenviro/?hl=en
Alter Eden: fb @Alter Eden https://beeart.ca/
Anarres: https://www.anarreshealth.ca/
Toronto Master Gardens: https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/
Garden Alchemy: https://gardenalchemyseeds.ca/
Gaia Organic Seeds: https://gaiaorganics.ca/
My Brother’s Keeper: https://www.facebook.com/mbkinitiative/
Root Rescue: https://rootrescue.com/
Parkdale Toronto Horticultural Society: https://parkdaletorontohort.com/
Bounty from the Boonies: https://www.bountyfromtheboonies.com/
Aangen: https://www.aangen.com/
Green Neighborhood Network https://gnntoronto.ca/
Parkdale People Economy: https://parkdalepeopleseconomy.ca/
Canada Nos Une: https://www.facebook.com/canadanosune.ong/
Whole Village: https://www.wholevillage.org/
Three Tree Cottage: https://www.instagram.com/threetreecottage/
Kacy’s Delights Haircare https://www.kacysdelightshaircare.com/
Toronto Live Green: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/live-green-toronto/
Compost Toronto: Joe Durand composttoronto@gmail.com
Roots & Culture Gardening Club https://www.instagram.com/rcgc22/
Beadlinks https://www.instagram.com/bead_links?igsh=MjlncTc2cXc4bDZh
Be part of the change towards a greener future!
Please make sure you visit other upcoming Seedy Saturdays in Toronto, in the GTA and in Canada . https://seeds.ca/events/
Show your support by visiting westnh.org/donate.
Stay updated with our activities and programs on our social media including our Facebook page and Instagram! To volunteer and connect with us, please contact admin@greenestcity.ca. If you would like to receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
Greenest City is a program of West Neighbourhood House. Read more by visiting their page.